The present invention relates to devices for the delivery, administration and passage of medicament and other fluids and methods and uses thereof. The invention relates to a system consisting of an insertion head for medical or pharmaceutical applications and an inserter for automatically positioning the insertion head on an organic tissue, such as human skin. The insertion head may be part of an infusion set for administering a medicine.
An insertion head is known from DE 198 21 723 C1 which comprises a base including an insertion means which projects on the lower side of the base. The insertion means is formed as a flexible cannula. An injection needle stabilizes the insertion means while it is inserted into a patient's tissue. A needle protection is detachably fastened to the base as a protection against pricking injuries. The needle protection is also awkward to remove. The insertion means which projects from the lower side, together with the injection needle, and the needle protection also considerably enlarge the packaging volume of the insertion head.
Positioning such insertion heads on the tissue represents another problem, in particular where the user uses the insertion head on himself, for example in self-administering medicines. Inserting the insertion means into the tissue can also evoke emotional barriers in the user. For some users, even the sight of the injection needle arouses aversions. Such users are correspondingly uncertain when positioning the insertion head on the tissue. In order to avoid such aversions and consequent uncertainty in handling, which can cause the insertion head to be incorrectly operated, inserters have been developed with the aid of which the insertion heads can be automatically positioned on the tissue. An example of such an inserter is known from DE 203 20 207 U1.
In an insertion head known from German patent application No. 10 2004 039 408, the disadvantages mentioned are eliminated by the insertion means being movably mounted by the base. The insertion means assumes a protective position for storage, transport and handling up until being inserted into the tissue. In order to be inserted, it can be moved from the protective position into an insertion position. A pivoting mobility is disclosed as a type of movement. The insertion head may have a compact construction when the insertion means assumes the protective position, and there is no longer any danger of injury in the protective position, however in order to be inserted into the tissue, the insertion means does have to be moved into the insertion position and positioned on the tissue.